Terrae
by MissLindaLee
Summary: This is the second half of Excelsior please read it before coming to this one.
1. Chapter 1

Linda tilted her head at the television screen as she grabbed a handful of buttered popcorn from the bowl Pete held; she stuffed the entire handful in her mouth, her cheeks puffing out, and munched. She and Pete sat cross-legged on the living room floor, watching E.T. on the television; there were soda cans and a few empty candy wrappers on the coffee table they leaned against.  
  
"Fo, heawth's um aweenan foo?" Linda asked.  
  
"What?" Pete asked.  
  
Linda quickly swallowed. "So, he's an alien too?" she repeated.  
  
Pete nodded. "Yeah, he's an alien." It was Saturday and the Kents were in town running some errands. They would have taken Linda with them or let her stay at the farm alone, but she had only been on Earth for a week and Linda's stunt in Metropolis was still fresh in all their minds; the Kents weren't ready to take her into town, much less leave her unsupervised, so Pete offered to watch her at his place, since it was his day off. He had to admit he was a little nervous about watching her, but she had fallen into a routine and knew what she was allowed to do and say, and what things were off limits; she was allowed a little more leeway with Pete, since he knew who she really was, but nevertheless she knew she had some boundaries to stay within. Still, she wasn't as bad as he thought she'd be; she was like a quiet, little child discovering the world - which she literally was - and she had all her powers in control. More importantly, she was fascinated with the television, so Pete did what any logical person would do: he plopped her down in front of it and stuck in a movie for her to watch; he also made some popcorn and got some sodas and candy for them.  
  
"So, where's he from?" Linda asked, keeping her eyes on the screen.  
  
"Um, actually, it doesn't say," Pete replied.  
  
"Because he looks like a Marsuvian," Linda continued, "but he likes plants, and Marsuvians abhor all plant life." She saw Pete giving her an odd look; she shrank a little. "Sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For talking so much," Linda replied. "Especially about aliens. I'm not supposed to."  
  
"With people who don't know who you are," Pete reminded her. "You can talk about aliens all you like with me; I think it's cool." He grinned, and Linda smiled. "So, he really looks like a Marsuvian?"  
  
"Yeah," Linda replied, "but his neck's too short. They have longer ones, like, um . . . uh, what are those animals with the long necks?"  
  
"Giraffes?"  
  
Linda nodded. "Yeah, giraffes." She had read about giraffes on the internet after Clark set up a computer in her room and showed her how to surf, as he called it. Her mental capacity was like a sponge, soaking up knowledge, but she had spent ten hours straight on it the day before, going through all kinds of sites, learning about so many different things, and her brain was still trying to process all of it.  
  
Pete grinned. "So, do Marsuvians talk like they do?"  
  
"Actually, they're telepathic," Linda replied. Suddenly, there was an excruciating pain in her head, right behind her eyes and she grabbed her temples, squinting her eyes tightly as she whimpered.  
  
Pete abandoned his post and knelt beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder; he knew from his experience with Clark there were two possibilities what her pain could be, and since they happened in a certain biological order, he knew exactly what it was.  
  
Linda slowly opened her eyes. There was a flash, and her surroundings suddenly changed colors on her; everything was blue, black, or white. She blinked, hoping it would stop, but it didn't. "Pete," she said as she looked at him, trying not to panic as her breath came in short gasps. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw him looking like a skeleton from a website she visited the day before. There was another flash, and everything returned to normal.  
  
Pete saw the fear young girl's face. "You okay?" he asked quietly.  
  
"That was . . . it was . . .," Linda replied softly.  
  
"X-ray vision?"   
  
"I was going to say revealing," Linda replied, "but, yeah." She knew to expect that particular power to emerge at any time; she was almost a year older than Clark when he first got it, but there was something about actually experiencing an emerging power as opposed to knowing about it. She took off her glasses and rubbed the spots right above her eyes; they didn't hurt anymore, but they were a little sore.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Pete and Linda looked up as the front door opened and Martha and Jonathan came in. They were smiling, but then they saw Linda rubbing her head and Pete's expressions, and their smiles turned to concern as the hurried over.  
  
"What happened?" Jonathan asked as he and Martha knelt beside Linda.  
  
"Linda is now the proud owner and distributor of X-ray vision," Pete replied wryly.  
  
"It finally came in?" Martha asked.  
  
"Just happened," Pete said.  
  
"My head is sore," Linda replied softly, still rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Oh, I know, baby," Martha said as she gathered her daughter into her arms and held her close. She kissed her forehead and rocked her a bit. Jonathan and Pete smiled, then Jonathan slowly surveyed the living room, seeing the popcorn, soda cans, and candy wrappers. He gave Pete a wry expression.  
  
Pete shrugged. "You didn't say it was off-limits," he replied. "All you said was to keep her occupied."  
  
Jonathan sighed and shook his head; Pete had him there. He watched his wife and daughter slowly get to their feet, and he and Pete stood up. "Okay," he replied, "but in the future, please try to keep the sweets to a minimum."  
  
"But they're good," Linda protested softly as Martha helped her put her glasses on.  
  
"I know, but you need to eat real food first," Jonathan replied. "Regardless if you're human or Kryptonian."  
  
"'Kay," Linda said.  
  
Martha replied, "I think it'd be best if we get Linda home." She smiled at Pete. "Pete, thank you for watching her for us; we really do appreciate it."  
  
"No problem," Pete said. He looked at Jonathan apologetically. "Sorry about the sweets, Mr. Kent."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Jonathan smiled and patted Pete's shoulder.   
  
"Bye, Pete," Linda smiled and gave a small wave.  
  
"Take care," Pete smiled back. "And don't be looking into any locker rooms, okay?"  
  
"Huh?" Linda asked.  
  
"Nevermind, Linda," Jonathan said quickly. He and Martha herded the young girl at the front door. Jonathan gave Pete one last glance before leaving, closing the door behind him.  
  
"What did I say?" Pete asked. He sighed and started cleaning up the living room.  
  
(End of Chapter 1) 


	2. Chapter 2

- - - -  
  
The skies darkened as the red truck pulled up to the scalloped fence. The trio got out and went to the bed, grabbing the bags of groceries.  
  
"So, when will I be allowed to go into town?" Linda asked as they headed into the house. Her headache had dissipated on the way home, and she was feeling much better.   
  
"Soon enough," Jonathan replied. They put the bags on the kitchen island and started putting the groceries away. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Fine," Linda answered. "My head isn't sore anymore."  
  
"That's good," Martha said. "Once we put away the groceries, we'll have to let Clark know; he'll be relieved, not to mention he can help you get it under control."  
  
Linda smiled a bit, then her smile faded as she looked at Jonathan. "Are you still mad at me because of what happened in Metropolis?" she asked quietly.  
  
Jonathan stopped and put his arm around the young girl's shoulders. "Linda, we've been over this several times," he said gently. "You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"Then why can't I go into town?" Linda asked, half angry, half confused.  
  
"Because if something were to happen," Jonathan replied, "then there's a good chance someone would see something; Smallville isn't as big as Metropolis. It's just too great a risk."  
  
Linda left the kitchen, walking into the living room. She made her way over to the bay window and sat on the sitting area, curling her legs under her, resting her chin on her knees; she sighed as she stared out the window. Jonathan walked up and sat down beside her.  
  
"I just want to see what's out there," Linda said quietly.  
  
"I know, sweetie," Jonathan replied, "but we've got to be careful."  
  
"I know," Linda said. Suddenly, there was a bright flash, and an incredible noise shook the house a second later. Linda's eyes went wide, and she flung herself at Jonathan, burying her head in his chest. Jonathan wrapped his arms around her and smiled.  
  
"It's okay," he said reassuringly. "It's just a thunderstorm."  
  
"It's loud," Linda whimpered.  
  
"Yes, it can be loud," Jonathan replied, "but it can also be very pretty." He got up and took Linda's hand; he guided her out the kitchen door onto the porch. Rain fell in sheets, hitting the roof, making a loud noise that made Linda stick close to Jonathan. He made his way over to the edge of the porch with her and, taking one of her hands, stuck his hand out, letting the rain hit it; he smiled down at Linda. Linda felt the cool water hitting her hand; it tickled a bit. She smiled up at Jonathan. There was another flash and another loud crash of thunder. Linda whimpered and hugged Jonathan, and he held her close to him, whispering to her softly.  
  
"I know it's loud," he said, "but the thunder can't hurt you."  
  
"But lightning can," Linda replied. "I read that people are twice as likely to die from being struck by lightning than from a tornado, hurricane, or flood."  
  
"Yes," Jonathan replied slowly; he knew Linda had spent time on the computer the day before, learning about life on Earth, but it was still a little strange hearing her say something like that. "But most of that is the result of people not really being safe around lightning. Did you read about what you're not supposed to do during a thunderstorm?"  
  
"Um . . .," Linda said slowly, pursing her lips in concentration, "avoid being around high or metal objects and wet areas."  
  
"Exactly," Jonathan replied, smiling.  
  
"So, shouldn't we be inside?" Linda asked.  
  
Jonathan nodded. "Yes, but I wanted you to see that a thunderstorm isn't always bad." Linda smiled, and the two headed back into the house, just as the phone rang. Jonathan reached for it, but Linda stopped him.  
  
"You're also not supposed to use appliances during a thunderstorm," she added.  
  
Jonathan glanced at Martha, and he could see she was smiling a bit as she finished putting away the groceries. Jonathan smiled and looked back down at his daughter. "You're absolutely right," he said, removing his hand from the phone. They let it ring, and then they heard the answering machine pick it up with its 'This is the Kents; leave a message.'  
  
"Hey," they heard Clark's voice answer, "I guess you guys must be out or something, but I just wanted to call and see how things are doing. I just got through talking with someone, and I really think we need to talk about it." Jonathan and Martha looked at each other; their son didn't sound upset, but his voice hinted at urgency. Uh, I guess that's it for now -"  
  
Jonathan reached for the phone and picked it up. "Clark," he said. He saw Linda give him a confused look. "Uh, Clark, I can't stay on long, but what's going on?" He listened as Clark talked to him, and his eyes slowly widened. "Seriously?" He glanced at Linda. "Uh, well, I think that's something we'll have to discuss . . . yeah, sure, come on by later tonight; we'll talk it over." He smiled. "We have something that we need to tell you as well . . . of course. Love you too, Clark. Goodbye." He hung up the phone.  
  
"What was that about?" Martha asked.  
  
"Guess who called Clark earlier this morning?" Jonathan asked. Martha couldn't think of anyone.  
  
"E.T.?" Linda asked. Jonathan and Martha looked at her. "You know, 'E.T., phone home.'"  
  
Jonathan chuckled, and Martha smiled. "No, it wasn't E.T., Linda. It was a friend of Clark's named Dr. Swann."  
  
"Dr. Swann called?" Martha asked, her eyes widening a bit. "What did he want?"  
  
"Well, one of his stations picked up a signal a week ago," Jonathan replied. "And he learned about the army being here, so he called Clark to see if everything was okay."  
  
"What did Clark tell him?" Martha asked.  
  
"He went to New York yesterday and talked with him," Jonathan replied. "He told Swann about the ship and Linda, and Swann wants to meet Linda."  
  
"Who's Dr. Swann?" Linda asked.  
  
"He's a friend of Clark's," Martha explained. "When Clark was a little older than you, Dr. Swann contacted him with information about where he was from."  
  
"So, Dr. Swann knows Clark's secret?" Linda asked. Jonathan and Martha nodded. "Why does he want to meet me?"  
  
"Well," Jonathan replied, "I'm assuming because, at the time, Dr. Swann and Clark thought he was the only survivor of Krypton, and now that Clark told him about you, he wants to meet you."  
  
"Where does he live?" Linda asked.  
  
"New York," Martha replied.  
  
Linda's eyes widened. "New York?" she whispered excitedly. "So, I can go see him?"  
  
"Hold on there," Jonathan replied. "Clark's coming over tonight, and we're going to discuss this together." Linda looked dejected. "Linda, I haven't said no, but I haven't said yes, either. Like I said, we're going to discuss this together."  
  
"Okay," Linda said. She sighed. "May I be excused?"  
  
"Of course," Martha asked. "Are you okay?"   
  
Linda nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I'll be in my room." She left the kitchen and went up the stairs. Jonathan and Martha watched her.  
  
"I hate seeing her upset like that," Jonathan said, "but I'm not going to risk our safety without knowing what's going on."  
  
"You don't have to explain anything to me," Martha replied. "I agree with you." She kissed Jonathan's cheek. "I'm going to get started on a pie for tonight." She left her husband's side and started gathering things to make one of her famous apple pies. Jonathan smiled as he headed out of the house and to the barn to work on some chores.  
  
(End of Chapter 2) 


	3. Chapter 3

- - - -  
  
The sun was setting as Linda watched it from the open loft window. She had finished her chores in seconds, and Jonathan said she could stay in the loft until dinnertime if she wanted, which suited the young girl just fine; she loved her new family, but she wanted to be alone and just think at the moment. Things were so different than back in Argo City. It was one thing she quickly learned in the past week of being in her new home: there were many freedoms and choices and emotions and different . . . things, and each of them were complicated in themselves, but together they made her head swim. The most important one was why she was still being kept on the farm or with Pete, why she couldn't see the town and explore; she knew her new parents just wanted to keep her safe, but it still felt like she was being isolated, something she knew very well in her former home.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Linda smiled slightly, recognizing the soft voice. She turned and saw Clark standing at the top of the loft steps. He was dressed in boots, jeans, and blue flannel, but he had his glasses off; she could see them hanging from his jeans pocket.  
  
"Hi," Linda replied before turning back to look out the window.  
  
"I heard you're still upset about staying out of sight," Clark said as he walked over and stood beside her. Linda shrugged. Clark put his arm around her shoulders. "They're not doing it because they don't want you to see what's out there."  
  
"I know," Linda replied. "It's still frustrating."  
  
"Believe me, I know the feeling," Clark said wryly. "I remember feeling isolated as a kid, because Mom and Dad were afraid people would find out about me." He shrugged. "I still feel frustrated sometimes."  
  
"Does it ever stop?" Kara asked.  
  
"No," Clark answered honestly, "but it lessens over time; you learn to accept that you're different . . . and it helps having someone to talk to about your differences." He smiled down at her. "Especially someone who understands what you're going through."  
  
"But I don't know anyone who -" Linda stopped and smiled sheepishly up at Clark. "Oh, heh."  
  
Clark chuckled. "Speaking of differences," he said, "Mom told me your X-ray vision finally came in."  
  
Linda winced. "You know, I don't mind the power," she said, "but the headache didn't feel very good."  
  
Clark nodded and replied, "Yeah, I hear you on that one. You want to try to practice before dinner?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Alright," Clark said. He turned Linda around and smiled. "We'll start with something small. Close your eyes." Linda gave him a 'what are you up to' look, but she sighed and closed her eyes. Clark reached into his jeans pocket and pulled it out a few moments later, his hand closed. "Open your eyes." Linda slowly opened her eyes. "Now, try to tell me what's in my hand."  
  
"And how do I do that?" Linda asked.  
  
"Just stare at my hand, and try to see past it," Clark answered. "Imagine the layers dissolving until you can see what I'm holding."  
  
Linda raised an eyebrow, but she sighed and stared at Clark's closed hand. She concentrated and even squinted her eyes slightly. She felt a tingle building up behind her eyes, and then there was a sharp pain and a flash . . . and she could see right through Clark's hand. Her eyes widened as she focused on his hand, seeing the bones of his fingers curled around two small objects; she didn't know what they were, but she could tell they had wings; she smiled slowly; there was another flash, and then everything returned to normal vision.  
  
"You saw it," Clark said, seeing her smile. Linda nodded. "What is it?"   
  
"There are two of them," she said slowly. She shrugged. "They have wings, but I don't know what they are."  
  
  
  
Clark smiled and opened his hand; there was a pair of small silver butterfly hair clip in his palm; the wings were speckled with small red jewels. Linda gasped softly.  
  
"Oh, they're beautiful," she whispered, her eyes wide as she smiled. "Where did you get them?"  
  
"Actually, Chloe bought them," Clark answered. "She bought them for you."  
  
"Really?" Linda looked up in awe.  
  
Clark nodded. "She saw them in a store and thought you'd like them in your hair." He smiled. "You want me to put them in for you?" Linda nodded. Clark stood behind her and gently gathered strands of her hair a couple inches above ears, then he fastened a clip on each side. He turned her around, sized her new hairdo, and then kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Clark put an arm around her shoulders. "Would I ever lie to you?" Linda shook her head. "Now, you hungry?" Linda nodded, and the two hurried down the loft and out the barn. They headed back to the house, and then Clark stopped. Linda noticed her cousin's quickly changed demeanor, and she tensed.  
  
"What is it?" she asked. Clark stared at the silver Aston Martin Volante parked near the scalloped fence. His jaw tightened, and Linda could actually see him tense. "Clark?"  
  
"Linda," he said, his voice low with an edge the young girl had never heard before, "I want you to listen to me and follow my directions, no questions asked. Do you understand?" Linda nodded slowly, her eyes wide. Clark grabbed her hand and gently led her back into the barn. He stopped near the workbench and turned around; he knelt down in front of her. "Linda, there's a few thing I need to talk to you about."  
  
(End of Chapter 3) 


	4. Chapter 4

- - - -  
  
Jonathan breathed in the wonderful smell of the baked chicken as Martha removed the pan from the oven. He would have commented on his wife's superb cooking, but he wasn't in the mood, so he settled for smiling.  
  
"That smells delicious, Mrs. Kent," Lex said from his place at the table.  
  
Martha set the pan on the top of the oven and turned around, smiling tightly. "Thank you, Lex," she replied. She turned back to turn off the oven, and she grabbed a pair of tongs, taking the chicken off the pan and putting it on a dish she set on the counter. She brought the dish over to the kitchen table and set it in the center, among the other dishes of freshly steamed broccoli and buttermilk rolls. Everyone turned around as the kitchen door and Clark - wearing his glasses - walked in with Linda following close behind him.  
  
"There you two are," Jonathan said. He nodded in Lex's direction. "Look who dropped by for dinner."  
  
"Lex," Clark put on his best surprised smile. "Good to see you."  
  
Lex smiled. "Clark, good to see you again," he replied. "How's your hand?"  
  
Clark shrugged. His hand was fine; the bruise was long gone, but he still kept it out of sight so Lex wouldn't see. "It's better."  
  
"And this must be your cousin," Lex said, glancing at the young girl standing next to his friend. He smiled at her. "Hi, I'm Lex." Linda hid behind Clark and peeked around him.  
  
"Hi," Linda said softly.  
  
"Okay, you two," Jonathan said, "let's get seated, and we can start eating." Clark and Linda came over to the table and sat on the opposite side of Lex; Martha took her seat at the end opposite of Jonathan, and the five of them started filling their plates.  
  
"Linda, those are lovely hairclips you're wearing," Martha said as they started eating.  
  
"Clark said that Chloe bought them for me," Linda replied softly.   
  
"Well, that was nice of her," Jonathan said, smiling. "Don't forget to thank her the next time you talk to her."  
  
"Okay." Linda glanced up from her plate and stared at Lex; she remembered what Clark had told her about Lex, but he failed to mention that Lex looked like the bald man on the bottle of cleaner Martha used, minus the white shirt and the earring.  
  
"What, do I have a piece of spinach in my teeth?" Lex asked, noticing her looking at him with an odd expression.  
  
"No," Linda answered slowly, "but you have no hair."  
  
"Linda, that was rather rude," Martha admonished the young woman gently.  
  
"No, it's okay," Lex replied. He smiled at the young girl. "I have no hair, because I lost it when I was nine years old. It was during the meteor shower in 1989."  
  
"Oh," Linda nodded. She looked back at her plate, then she felt her head tingling again. She closed her eyes and removed her glasses, rubbing right above her right eye.  
  
"Linda, you okay?" Clark asked as everyone looked at her worriedly.  
  
Linda blinked, and then there was a flash; she looked up, and she was seeing everything . She was staring at Lex, and his clothes started dissolving. Her eyes widened in fear, and then the dissolving stopped after his first layer of clothing - thankfully only his jacket. She blinked, but the image didn't go away. She saw something out of her peripheral vision, and she looked over at it; she briefly saw a vile of familiar dense liquid in Lex's jacket pocket before there was another flash, and her vision returned to normal.  
  
"Linda?" Martha asked. "Did you have another headache?" Linda nodded.  
  
Jonathan got up from his chair and helped Linda to her feet. "Come on, sweetie," he said. "Let's get you upstairs." Martha got up and helped Jonathan lead Linda up the stairs, leaving Lex and Clark alone at the dinner table.  
  
"She's cute," Lex replied as he looked at Clark, smiling. "So, which side of the family is she from?"  
  
"Dad's side," Clark answered, hoping Lex wouldn't press further. Clark had no idea what kind of past Chloe was creating for Linda, and he didn't want to say anything that would raise suspicions later on; he decided to switch the subject. "So, you're pretty chummy with the Army; why are they still here? It's been a week."  
  
"Well," Lex answered, "they're still looking for debris." He looked up at his friend. "And I'm sorry that they harassed you and Linda earlier this week."  
  
"Not your fault, Lex," Clark replied. "Nothing really happened."  
  
"Yes, I heard you and your father got a little super help," Lex said. He smiled, but Clark could see his eyes darken slightly, a look that Clark knew was reserved for his alter ego.  
  
"Well, actually Dad put the soldiers in their place," Clark replied, smiling tightly. "Superman just made sure they didn't go trigger happy."  
  
"Ah," Lex replied, nodding. "Yes, he has a habit of doing that." He moved the food around on his plate. He cut a piece of chicken and ate it. "You know, I can't get enough of your mother's home cooking." He smiled at Clark as he chewed, and Clark smiled back.  
  
(End of Chapter 4) 


	5. Chapter 5

- - - -  
  
Linda lay on her side on top of the plush lavender comforter on her bed. Her glasses were on the nightstand, and her head was in Martha's lap. Martha gently rubbed the young girl's forehead and temples; Jonathan sat on the edge of the bed behind Linda, rubbing the soft spot at the base of the young girl's spine. He knew from his experience with Clark that he wasn't doing much for Linda physically, but he knew that sometimes it was just the mere touch of a loved one that was most beneficial.  
  
"How's your head?" Martha asked.  
  
"It's better," Linda answered softly. Physical contact was still a bit alien for her, but she was learning that it - the hugging, the rubs, the kisses - was a part of the Kent family . . . well, part of human life too, and she was starting to become more and more comfortable with it.  
  
"Something's still bothering you," Jonathan said.  
  
"It's Lex," Linda replied.  
  
"What about Lex?" Martha asked.  
  
Linda slowly sat up and looked at her adopted mother and replied, "Well, before Clark and I came inside he told me that Lex wasn't a good person, but that we all had to pretend he was our friend. Why?"  
  
Martha looked at Jonathan, and she saw her husband was trying to keep his composure calm and collected. She turned back to Linda and put an arm on the young girl's shoulder. "Because at one point," she answered, "Lex and Clark *were* friends." She explained, as best she could, about that fateful day when Lex came into their lives years ago.  
  
"So, what happened?" Linda asked after Martha was finished. "Why did they stop being friends?"  
  
"Remember how we told you about when Clark saved all those people in Metropolis, and that's why he decided to become Superman?" Jonathan asked. Linda nodded. "Well, it was a plane full of people, and it was going to crash in the middle of the city, which would have killed a lot of people."  
  
"I don't understand," Linda said.  
  
"Linda," Martha spoke up, "Lex had created a new project of armored suits for some of his security team to wear, and he wanted to test them out in the city, so he caused the plane's controls to malfunction; he wanted to see what the suits were capable of, their level of strength, speed, and other things, but Clark was able to save the plane from crashing before they could be tested."  
  
"And Lex didn't like that?" Linda asked.  
  
"No," Jonathan replied. "In fact, he hated it."  
  
"Did he know it was Clark?"  
  
"No," Martha answered. "He still doesn't know it was Clark."  
  
"So, he was mad at Superman?"  
  
"Yes," Jonathan replied. "He hated Superman for being more powerful than he was and because he wasn't able to test his suits to get the approval he needed from the city so they could legally operate."  
  
"But why did their friendship end?" Linda asked.  
  
"Because Clark ended it when he found out that Lex was responsible for making the plane malfunction and putting all those people in danger," Martha answered.  
  
"Did Lex get into trouble for it?"  
  
"No," Jonathan replied. "Unfortunately, Lex is very good at covering up things, and Clark hasn't been able to prove that Lex was responsible for the plane's problem or for the other things Lex is responsible for."  
  
"Such as?" Linda asked.  
  
"A lot of bad stuff," Martha replied. "Lex has hurt a lot of people, but most everyone thinks he's a good person; only a handful of people know the truth."  
  
"Like us?" Linda asked.  
  
"And Pete and Chloe and Lana," Jonathan added.   
  
"And we have to pretend that we like Lex, because he's one of the people who would hurt us if he figures out that Clark and Superman are the same person?" Linda asked.  
  
"Exactly," Jonathan replied. "I know it's confusing, and you might not like it, but you have to do it, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Linda said. It wasn't confusing, but she pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows.  
  
"What is it?" Martha asked, seeing something was still bothering the young girl.  
  
"When I was at the table and I had another flash of X-ray vision," Linda said, "I saw something in Lex's jacket pocket." She glanced at Jonathan. "It looked like it was a container of the protomatter from my ship."  
  
Jonathan looked less than pleased as he closed his eyes and sighed. "Well, Chloe told us the Army did figure out that the protomatter was not from Earth," he said.  
  
"Still doesn't explain why Lex would have some of it," Martha replied.  
  
"Probably to see if he can use it against Clark," Jonathan said, his voice laced with anger. He glanced at Linda and saw her expression was confused and scared. He softened and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Linda; I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"The protomatter is not dangerous," Linda replied softly. "It's just a versatile material that Kryptonians designed. In its hardened form, it's used for protection; it's virtually useless in liquid form."  
  
"Well, that's good to know," Jonathan replied, smiling a bit, "but it's still going to keep Lex and the Army around for a while until they figure out what's going on."  
  
"Would it be okay if I stayed up here?" Linda asked quietly.  
  
"You don't want any more dinner?" Martha asked.  
  
Linda shook her head. "I do, but Lex is . . . well, I know he was nice and everything, but I just don't want to be around him right now."  
  
"That's fine," Martha replied. "I can bring up your plate."  
  
"Can I take a shower first?" Linda asked. She loved baths, but she discovered that having the water run over her could be just as relaxing at times.  
  
"Sure," Jonathan replied. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Nothing like a hot shower to clear your mind." Linda smiled. He and Martha got up.   
  
"I'll be back in about thirty minutes," Martha said.  
  
"Okay," Linda replied. She watched her parents leave the room and shut the door behind her. Sighing, the young girl stood up and headed for the bathroom.  
  
(End of Chapter 5) 


	6. Chapter 6

- - - -  
  
The air was cold and still in the Kawatche caves, and the darkness that filled it when it was uninhabited seemed darker than normal. It was almost as if the darkness itself was trying to keep the caves' secrets safe from intruders by drowning out any light that dared penetrate the walls.  
  
Suddenly, a small particle of light appeared, but it came from the wall- more specifically, the symbols that were written on the wall. The light particle stayed small, as if the darkness was attempting to stop it from growing, but soon the light particle grew, both in size and intensity. By the time it was the size of a dime, it was bathing the caves in a soft glow; at the size of a quarter, the caves glowed brightly; when it became the size of a dollar bill, the brightness was so intense that it seemed as if the sun itself had descended from the sky and settled into the caves.  
  
The intensity of the light never wavered as the size of the particle continued to grow until it was the size of a door. The silhouette of a man slowly appeared in the light, and he stepped through the door into the caves. As he looked at his surroundings, the door behind him grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared; the symbols stopped glowing, and there was no indication that it had ever been there in the first place.  
  
He wore a black body suit, tunic, and boots. A familiar Kryptonian symbol was emblazoned across his chest. He looked around, his blue eyes taking in his surroundings. He had never been in the caves before, but he knew of them. He smoothed strands of brown hair away from his forehead as he walked over to the circle of symbols surrounding the octagonal groove in the cave wall. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the groove for a few moments, then he reached into a pocket of his tunic and pulled out a small, octagonal-shaped key. He fingered the three sets of symbols on it before holding it up, lining up the symbols with those on the wall. The key flew from his hand and floated over to the groove, nestling perfectly into the slot.  
  
The symbols on the key started to glow a red, yellow and blue, then the symbols on the wall lit up, and they all started rotating in circles around the glowing key, each ring of symbols moving in alternating directions. The man watched as the disk suddenly opened up through the middle, and a stream of white energy shot out at him. He was surrounded by the energy, but he wasn't fazed or shocked.  
  
"I am Jor-El," a powerful voice boomed out. "Father of Kal-El."  
  
"And I am Zor-El," the man replied. "Father of Kara Zor-El."  
  
"I know why you are here," Jor-El replied, his voice monotonous.  
  
"Where is she?" Zor-El asked.  
  
"She is with Kal-El," Jor-El replied. "She must be stopped; she has interfered and affected Kal-El's destiny - multiple times."  
  
"If you were still alive, you would be a disgrace to the Head Council," Zor-El glowered. "You can't even control your son and shape him into who he must become."  
  
"How dare you patronize me when you can't even keep your own wretch of a daughter in proper line," Jor-El growled.  
  
"That will be rectified once I return her to Argo City," Zor-El replied. "She will be punished - by my own hands."  
  
"She should have never been created," Jor-El said. "She has no place in the destiny of the El Family."  
  
"Where is she?" Zor-El demanded, his voice rising with every syllable.  
  
"If you want her, you will have to be patient," Jor-El replied calmly. "The effects of Sol have given her powers similar to Kal-El's. You will have to wait until you have absorbed the rays of Sol, then you will be able to face Kal-El; he will not relinquish custody of her easily."  
  
"How long do I have to be on this miserable planet?" Zor-El asked.  
  
"Your biology should allow you to only have to wait one full Earth day," Jor-El answered. "As long as you spend the day under Sol's rays. I don't need to tell you the magnitude of the consequences if you fail."  
  
"I will *not* fail," Zor-El replied, narrowing his eyes as he raised his hand. The light faded as the key flew from the slot and landed in Zor-El's hand.  
  
- - - -  
  
Linda let the warm water from the showerhead tumble down over her skin as she sat in the bathtub; she would usually stand, but everything from the day - the X-ray vision flashes, the headaches, and then Lex - gave her the need to just sit back and relax.  
  
There was a flash, and Linda saw visions of an intense light, and then her father's face loomed in front of her, staring at her with a cold hatred in his eyes. The young girl's eyes shot open in fear; her heart pounded in her chest and her breathing quickened.  
  
Linda felt sick to her stomach as she placed her hands on the sides of the tub, trying to support herself. She tried to suppress the bile churning in her throat, but she couldn't. She didn't even bother turning off the water; she got out of the shower, grabbed her robe and shrugged into it as she hurried over to the toilet and promptly threw up.  
  
Her body shook as she emptied the contents of her stomach. When she knew for certain there was nothing left in her, she flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth out at the sink. Her legs shook as she slowly walked into her bedroom; she was halfway to her bed when her legs gave out, and she collapsed, curling in on herself as she quietly sobbed.  
  
She was so lost in herself that she didn't see or hear the bedroom door open and Jonathan walk in, carrying a tray with her dinner plate and another plate with a large slice of Martha's organic apple pie; he was smiling as he walked in, then he saw his daughter curled on her side on the floor, crying. His smile faded, and he dropped the tray; it clattered to the floor, and the dishes shattered, spilling food, as he hurried to her side. He didn't talk, he didn't care that she was dripping wet; he just carefully gathered the young girl into his arms and held her, gently rocking her.  
  
"Martha!" he shouted over his shoulder as loud as he dared. He was really thankful that Lex had left a few minutes ago. "Clark!" He turned back to Linda and whispered comforting words softly to her. He heard footsteps rushing up the stairs and down the hall, and then Martha and Clark appeared in the doorway. They took one look at the scene in the bedroom and hurried over.  
  
"What happened?" Clark asked as he and Martha knelt on either side of Jonathan.  
  
"I don't know," Jonathan replied. "I came in, and she was like this." Linda had stopped sobbing and shaking, and her eyes were glazed over and half closed. "Linda?" Nothing.  
  
"She look like she's in shock," Martha said. She reached out and tenderly touched Linda's cheek; there was no response.  
  
"Let's get her to bed," Jonathan replied. Clark carefully took Linda from his father and got to his feet. Martha stood up and hurried to the bed, pulling back the sheets and comforter. Clark gently lay the young girl on the bed, and Martha covered her with the sheets. Clark sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Linda's eyes slowly closed, ignoring everything else around him.  
  
Martha and Jonathan watched from a distance, concerned. Linda had been doing so well, emotionally speaking, since she came into the Kents' lives; they didn't know what had happened to give the young girl such a horrible shock, and they were worried that it was going to undo all good they had accomplished.  
  
(End of Chapter 6) 


	7. Chapter 7

- - - -  
  
"You ungrateful little wretch!" Zor-El screamed as he brought his cane down on the small form laying on the cold floor. The young girl cried out as pain shot through her chest. "You are a waste of genetic material!" Tears threatened to spill down Kara's cheeks, but she forced herself not to shed them. Instead, she bit her lip hard enough to bleed, the coppery taste filling her mouth.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, shaking.  
  
Zor-El dropped the cane and walked over to her. He yanked her up by her hair and held her close; she could feel his breath against her ear. "Not as sorry as you're going to be," he growled. He turned her around and raised his fist, bringing it down towards her face.  
  
- - - -  
  
"No!" Linda shouted as she shot up; beads of sweat were on her forehead, and she gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked around; it took her a few moments to realize she was in her room on the farmhouse, sitting under the covers of her bed.  
  
"Linda?"  
  
The young girl looked over as Clark got up from the desk chair on the other side of the room; he hurried over and sat beside her, looking relieved and concerned at the same time.  
  
"Clark?" she whispered tearfully. She reached up and touched his cheek, checking to see if he was real; she could feel him, and then she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly around the neck, crying into his shoulder.  
  
"It's okay," he said softly, hugging her. "It's okay."  
  
"Please don't let him get me," she sobbed.  
  
"Who?" Clark asked.  
  
"My father."  
  
Clark rubbed her back, rocking her gently. "Linda, it was just a dream," he said softly. "He's not here; he can't hurt you."  
  
"But I saw him," she said. "He was hitting me . . . hurting me." She shuddered. "I remember it all."  
  
"Clark" Jonathan said as he and Martha hurried into the bedroom, looking concerned. They saw Clark and Linda on the bed and came over. "What happened?"  
  
"Bad dream," Clark replied. "About her father."  
  
"Oh, you poor thing," Martha whispered as she scooted onto the bed beside Linda and rubbed her back and hair. She kissed the top of her head. "You're safe now, sweetie."   
  
Jonathan walked over and sat on the other side of the bed, putting his hand on Linda's shoulder and rubbing it gently. He shared a look with his wife, and she knew what he was telling her: it was going to take time for Linda to heal from what had been done to her, but they were going to be there for her every step of the way.  
  
"Linda, how do you feel now?" he asked after a few moments of silence. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?"  
  
"What time is it?" Linda asked.  
  
"It's a little after one in the morning," Clark answered.  
  
"I can't sleep," Linda replied.  
  
"You have to at least try," Martha said. She glanced at Jonathan, and he nodded. "You're going to need your rest, Linda. You don't want to be tired when you visit Dr. Swann, do you?"  
  
"Huh?" Linda asked, looking up at Martha.  
  
"Martha and I talked while you were sleeping," Jonathan said. "If you want to see Dr. Swann, then you can go see him."   
  
Linda slowly smiled. "Really?"  
  
Jonathan nodded, smiling. "Really." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "But you have to get some sleep first." He glanced at Clark. "You too, son."  
  
Clark pretended to look annoyed. "Dad, I -"  
  
"Clark," Jonathan gently interrupted, "I do not want you falling asleep on the way there and crashing into the top of the Statue of Liberty."  
  
"Neither do I," Linda added.  
  
Clark chuckled. "Okay, okay, I can take a hint."  
  
"Only if it's applied with a sledgehammer," Linda muttered. She saw everyone looking at her. "What?"  
  
"Your first joke," Martha smiled.  
  
"Well, that's what Pete says about Clark all the time," Linda replied. Jonathan snickered.  
  
"I'll remember to talk to Pete about that," Clark smiled. He gently ruffled her hair. "Let's get you settled in to sleep, alrighty?"  
  
"Okay," Linda replied. Clark, Martha, and Jonathan helped tuck the young girl into bed, each kissing her forehead and giving her a hug.  
  
"Do you want me to stay here?" Clark asked.  
  
"That's okay," Linda answered. "I'll be fine."  
  
"You sure?" Clark asked.  
  
Linda nodded. "It's just a dream, like you said," she replied. "Dreams can't hurt me." She smiled. "I'm okay, really." The adults looked a little reluctant, but they headed out of the bedroom.  
  
"Goodnight, Linda," Jonathan said as he flipped off the overhead light.  
  
"Sleep sweet," Martha replied.  
  
"If you need anything, just shout," Clark added. "I'll be up here in no time."  
  
Linda smiled, and then adults left the room, shutting the door behind them. The young girl settled back against the pillows; she turned on her side as she snuggled under the covers and closed her eyes. For a brief moment, she worried about dreaming about her father again, but she kept hearing Clark's words in her mind; it had just been a horrible dream, and no matter what, her father would never hurt her again. As she drifted off to sleep a small smile played on her lips.  
  
(End of Chapter 7) 


	8. Chapter 8

- - - -  
  
Lex was at his desk in the library of the Scottish mansion when the double doors opened, and a gaunt and gangly man shambled in; his slacks and dress shirt were soiled and worn. A week's growth of beard crawled along his jaw, and an unkempt brush of mustache grew beneath the hook of his nose. Dark, scraggly wisps of hair were all that was left of the widow's peak above. Even though it was dark, his eyes were hidden behind a pair of thick, goggle like glasses.  
  
"This had better be good," he said, his voice low and hoarse. "I am a very busy man, and it's very late."  
  
"Don't patronize me, Donovan," Lex frowned. "I was the one kind enough to let you in on this little endeavor, remember?"  
  
"Then I assume you were able to get a hold of it," Donavan said, crossing his arms. Lex pulled the vile from his jacket and held it up; a smile played on Donavan's lips. "You must have had to pay a pretty penny."  
  
"Twenty thousand dollars' worth, to be precise," Lex replied. He fingered the vile in his hand. "Which is chicken feed compared to the possibilities of what this vile might contain." He held the vile out to Donovan.  
  
"Interesting," Donovan said he took the vile and peered at its contents. "What do you know about it?"  
  
"Just that it's not from Earth," Lex replied. "The rest is going to be your job."  
  
"And the arrangements for my payment?" Donovan asked.  
  
"The usual manner," Lex answered. He narrowed his eyes up at the other man. "And this time, I want a little discretion."   
  
Donovan raised an eyebrow and pretended to look confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Lex."  
  
"Don't play dumb with me, Donovan," Lex growled; he pounded a fist against his desk as he got to his feet. "When your pet experiments escaped, you nearly exposed Cadmus to the public."  
  
"But I didn't," Donovan pointed out.  
  
"That's beside the point," Lex replied. "Your failures -"  
  
"How dare you call my DNAliens failures," Donovan growled. "I worked for years on their genetic makeup."  
  
"But you obviously didn't spend enough time on their common sense," Lex retorted.  
  
"They were the first round," Donovan replied calmly. "Nothing's perfect the first time it's created." He lowered his head and glanced at Lex from above the top of his glasses, giving the businessman a cruel smile. "You still think this has something to do with Superman."  
  
"Why else would he be in Smallville?" Lex asked. "I'm willing to wager he knows what it is, and he's trying to keep me from it." He sat back down and rested his elbows on the desk; leaning forward, he steepled his fingers, staring at Donovan with an evil darkness in his eyes. "So, do we have a deal, Donovan?"  
  
Donovan smiled cruelly, holding the vile in his hand. "Of course, Lex."  
  
- - - -  
  
"Go faster!" Linda squealed.  
  
Superman gave his cousin a wry glance as he flew high above the clouds, the wind whipping around them as he held her in his arms; she had her arms around his neck and just looked around in wonder and amazement. "Are you sure?" he asked loudly. Linda nodded, and Superman shook his head as he increased his speed. The young girl closed her eyes; she could barely feel the force, but the coolness felt exhilarating. She was glad her parents said she could go to New York, even if they did spend all of breakfast going over all the rules she had to obey; she listened patiently, trying to keep from showing too much excitement as she ate her toast and eggs.  
  
"Linda, look!" Superman nudged the young girl. Linda opened her eyes and gasped. The sunlight sparkled over the skyline of the Big Apple, and she could see hustle and bustle below as her cousin flew them around the skyscrapers. All the sights - the Empire State Building, the Trump Tower, the Statue of Liberty - were familiar to her from researching on the computer, though she had never seen them before.  
  
Superman descended with his cargo towards the city; he landed in an alley behind the New York Planetarium, then he set Linda down. While the young woman put her glasses on (she had removed them while flying with her cousin), Superman spun in a circle, changing into his civilian clothes. He took his glasses from his pocket and put them on, then the two of them walked out of the alley and around to the front entrance. They walked into the lobby, and Clark talked with the receptionist at the desk. The receptionist pointed them in the right direction, and the two walked down a private corridor.  
  
As much as she was looking forward to meeting Dr. Swann, Linda was extremely nervous as she and Clark walked down the hall; she reached out and grabbed Clark's hand. Clark looked down at her and smiled. It seemed like forever, but they reached the back door. Clark opened it, and the two of them walked in; Clark shut the door behind them.  
  
Linda slowly looked around the large room. There was light streaming in through the windows and shone on all the objects in there - globes, statues, and other unfamiliar artifacts. She was entranced by everything, and part of her wanted to drop Clark's hand and go explore and discover, but the other part of her was shy and scared, so she stayed by her cousin's side and gripped his hand tightly.  
  
"Dr. Swann?" Clark called out.  
  
"Back here, Clark," a voice replied.  
  
The two headed toward the back of the room. It was cluttered with bookshelves, and Linda couldn't see anything. They walked around a bookshelf, and Linda saw a man a kind face sitting behind a desk. She could see his blue eyes from behind a pair of black glasses, but the most prominent characteristic about him was that he wasn't sitting in a regular chair; he was sitting in an unfamiliar chair, and there was some time of tube running out of his neck. She had never seen anyone like him, and she clutched Clark's hand harder as she hid behind him.  
  
Clark smiled at the man. "It's good to see you again, Dr. Swann," he said.  
  
Swann smiled back. "It's good to see you, Clark," he replied. Linda could hear his voice was different - higher pitched than Clark's, with a slight rasp to it. Swann noticed the figure behind Clark. "Is this her?"  
  
Clark nodded and nudged Linda out from behind him. "Linda, this is Dr. Swann," he said, smiling. "Dr. Swann, this is my cousin, Linda."  
  
Dr. Swann smiled warmly at the young woman. "Hello, Linda," he said. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."  
  
(End of Chapter 8) 


	9. Chapter 9

- - - -  
  
Linda hesitated; she knew she could trust Swann, because Clark did, but she was still wary of him. Clark didn't mention anything about Swann's . . . appearance, and Linda was a little scared.  
  
Swann noticed her hesitation, but he wasn't upset or frustrated by it; he knew to expect it. He just simply smiled. "How are you today, Linda?" he asked.  
  
"I'm okay," Linda replied softly, still staying close to Clark.  
  
"Can I show you something?" Swann asked. "You might be interested in it."  
  
"Sure," Linda said slowly.  
  
"Activate screen," Swann said into a microphone on his desk. A screen in front of the wall beside the desk lit up with rows of Kryptonian symbols, each row traveling in opposite directions. "I'm sure you recognize the language."  
  
Linda looked at the screen and let go of Clark's hand. Keeping her eyes fixed on the screen, she slowly walked over to the screen. She read the symbols, then she turned to Swann. "Where did you get this?" she asked.  
  
"It was the message that arrived a week ago," Swann replied. "One of my receiving stations picked it up seventeen hours before an unfamiliar object crashed in Smallville."  
  
"My ship," Linda whispered. She glanced at the screen. "Have you deciphered it yet?"  
  
"Actually, I was hoping you would," Swann replied. "Like Clark's message was for him, I'm sure that message there is intended for you."  
  
Linda glanced at Clark; he smiled and nodded. The young woman turned back and faced the screen. She lightly touched the screen and watched the symbols. After a few moments, her eyes welled up; she closed her eyes.  
  
"What does it say?" Clark asked as he saw her expression.  
  
"'This is Kara Zor-El of Argo City,'" Linda whispered. "'Please protect her, guide her, and give her the love she deserves, Kal-El.'" Clark walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.   
  
"You going to be okay?" Clark asked.   
  
Linda nodded and looked at Swann. "Why do you want to see me?"  
  
"I don't mean you any harm, Linda," Swann replied. "I'm Clark's friend, and I want to be your friend too."  
  
"Why?" Linda asked. "You don't know me any more than I know you; why would you want to be my friend?"  
  
"Why are you really here?" Swann asked. "And you can't say because Clark is; there has to be a reason why you're here." Linda opened her mouth, but she couldn't answer him. She looked away. "I know why you're here."  
  
"Why?" Linda asked, not bothering to look at him.  
  
"Because, like me, you're curious," Swann answered. "You want to know who I am, just like Clark wanted to know when he was just a little bit older than you." There was a pause. "And when I received the message foretelling the arrival of another like Clark, I was just as curious about you." Linda looked over at the elder man. "Linda, when Clark first came to me, I told him that there were no others like him in the universe. You being here proves that even the best scientists can be wrong, which means that Krypton somehow survived."  
  
"Is that all you want from me?" Linda asked softly. "Just information?"  
  
"No," Swann answered. "I want to get to know someone who was brave enough to do what most humans have only dreamed of: travel among the heavens - and find a new home."  
  
"It wasn't really a choice I had," Linda replied softly. She opened her mouth, but then she stopped and closed her mouth again. She looked at the symbols and touched the screen softly, then she looked back at Swann. "I can tell you what happened."  
  
"That's your choice," Swann replied. "I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to."  
  
Linda took a deep breath. "I don't mind," she said, "but I want something from you."  
  
"What would you like?" Swann asked.  
  
"You want to know about me," Linda answered. "So, I want to know about you."  
  
Swann smiled. "That sounds like a fair deal." He indicated two chairs in front of his desk. "Please, sit." He watched as Clark and Linda walked over and sat down in the chairs. "Well, I guess it's best to start from the beginning. I was born in . . . ."  
  
- - - -  
  
"What about a puppy?" Jonathan asked as he stared at the group of young puppies playing in the window of the pet store in town.  
  
"No," Martha replied, trying to get her husband away. "Jonathan, Linda doesn't need a puppy; she wouldn't even know how to care for one." She nodded at the bags in her hands and Jonathan's hands. "Besides, don't you think we're spoiling her enough with all this stuff?"  
  
"Actually, the Twinkies are for me," Jonathan grinned. Martha gave him a look. "Come on, sweetheart, we're not spoiling her by getting her settled in. Clark got her wardrobe, and we're getting her things for her room."  
  
"We've only gotten her lavender curtains and bed pillows," Martha replied. "And that's one bag; the rest is all filled with food." Jonathan smiled and shrugged; Martha sighed and shook her head. "Okay, I'll overlook the sugar binge if you don't get her any animals. Alright?"  
  
"Okay," Jonathan said. "But we do need to get a few things to spruce up her room."  
  
"But we don't know what she likes," Martha replied as they headed down the sidewalk.  
  
"So, we'll get her a few things and see what she likes," Jonathan said. There was a twinkle in his eyes, and Martha saw it.  
  
"What do you have in mind?" she asked cautiously. She didn't watch where she was walking, and bumped into someone. She winced; it felt like she had walked into a brick wall. She glanced up at the person she bumped into. He was tall, about her husband's height, with brown hair, and dressed completely in black; his eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. "I'm sorry." The man didn't frown, but he looked annoyed. There was a presence about him, and Martha actually shivered. He didn't say a word as he brushed past the Kents, walking down the sidewalk. The Kents watched him for a few minutes, then glanced at each other before heading towards Fordman's.  
  
(End of Chapter 9) 


	10. Chapter 10

- - - -  
  
" . . . and then Rok-Var launched the ship, sending me to Earth," Linda said. "It took me about two years, but since I was in stasis, I didn't age. I landed a week ago, and I've been with the Kents ever since." She shrugged. "That's about it."  
  
"That's an amazing story, Linda," Swann said.  
  
"I don't see anything amazing about it," Linda replied. "I ran away."  
  
"You wanted to live," Swann replied. "Even if you didn't know it, that's why you did what you did." He paused. "That's something we both share." Linda looked confused. "Linda, remember when I told you about my injury, why I was in this chair and have this tube in my neck?" Linda nodded. "Well, for the longest time, I was really upset about it, and I almost gave up living, but I didn't, because giving up would have meant giving up on myself, and that wasn't something I wanted to be remembered for." Linda smiled.  
  
"Well, it's time for us to go," Clark said, glancing at the clock on the wall.  
  
Linda looked disappointed. "Do we have to?"  
  
"Yes, I promised Mom and Dad that we wouldn't stay out too long," Clark replied.  
  
Linda looked back at Swann. "Does this mean I won't get to see you again?"  
  
"Oh, you're welcome back here any time," Swann said smiling. "With your parents' permission, of course." Linda smiled, and she and Clark got up from their chairs. "Thank you for coming - both of you." The two smiled and headed out. Linda turned and smiled one last time, waving. Swann smiled warmly back at her and watched her and Clark leave.  
  
- - - -  
  
Superman landed behind the Kent barn and gently placed Linda on the ground. Linda bounded ahead through the barn on the way to the house, while Superman quickly changed and hurried after her. He reached her as she opened the kitchen door and walked in. She grinned when she saw Jonathan and Martha unpacking groceries in the kitchen.  
  
"Hi," she smiled. The Kents looked up as Clark walked in behind her; they smiled, seeing their two children.  
  
"Hey, you two," Jonathan said as he pulled some groceries out of a bag. "How was the trip to New York?"  
  
"Not too bad," Clark replied. "Linda was a little wary of Dr. Swann, but he earned her trust." He glanced at Linda, and the young girl shrugged. He smiled. "Linda, it's okay to be wary of people; Dr. Swann wasn't upset."  
  
"I know," Linda replied, "but I still feel bad."   
  
"Linda," Jonathan said, "you need to be careful of people, especially when it comes to your secret, and I know it's frustrating, but you can't hate yourself because of it."  
  
"I'm a nice person," Linda said. "I hate not trusting people, and it's not because of my secret."  
  
"Then what is it, honey?" Martha asked.  
  
"It's because I don't know who's going to like me or try to hurt me," Linda answered. She sighed. "I can't help it . . . ."  
  
"Oh, Linda," Martha said as she walked over; she put her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "Being wary of people because of what happened doesn't make you a bad person . . . it just makes you cautious, and there's nothing wrong with that."  
  
"Besides, most people you meet are really good people," Jonathan added.  
  
"Really?" Linda asked.  
  
"Really." Jonathan smiled. "Doesn't mean they get to know your secret, though, okay?"  
  
Linda nodded and glanced at the bags. "What's in the bags?"  
  
"Oh, just a few things," Martha replied as she walked back over. Clark went over to the fridge and opened it, looking for something to eat.  
  
Linda opened her mouth to ask what they got, but she stopped and smiled to herself. She lowered her glasses and focused on the bags on the island. There was a flash, but she didn't feel any pain as her vision changed; she saw the bags as they seemed to dissolve, and she could see what the contents were. She grinned.  
  
"Ooh, Twinkies!" she squealed. "And Dr. Pepper! And potato chips!" Everyone looked up at young woman, surprised. The Kents had their mouths open, while Clark was just grinning, his cheeks full of apple pie. "What?"  
  
"Sounds to me like she's got it under control," Martha replied, smiling at her husband.  
  
Jonathan pulled out the Twinkies and pretended to hoard them in mock protectiveness. "They're mine," he replied, hugging the package to his chest.  
  
"But - but -" Linda's mouth hung open. "But I like Twinkies."  
  
"Well, if you want them," Jonathan replied, a twinkle in his eyes, "you have to get them." He ran out of the kitchen with the Twinkies in his grasp. Linda ran after him as he bolted up the stairs. Martha and Clark looked at each other as Clark swallowed his food.  
  
"I thought Dad didn't want her having all this junk food," Clark said as he eyed the chips, the soda, and the snack foods and candy in the other bags.  
  
"I had to make a deal," Martha replied. "He wanted to get her a puppy."  
  
Clark shook his head, smiling. "And what would she do with a puppy?"  
  
"That's what I asked him," Martha replied as Clark helped her put up the food. "Though, I think we might look into getting one again anyways once Linda's a little more settled - possibly a cat too."  
  
"Everything okay?" Clark asked.  
  
"Yes, but it wouldn't hurt to have a dog around to keep an eye on the livestock and a lookout for strangers," Martha replied. "Especially after the soldiers and Lex showing up unexpectedly. As for the cat, well, I saw a mouse in the feed silo; set out some traps, but you know I don't like doing that."  
  
There was a loud shriek from upstairs. Martha and Clark hurried upstairs and down the hall to find the source of the noise. They found it in Linda's bedroom. Jonathan and Linda were on the floor; Jonathan had pinned the young girl gently and was tickling her, and Linda was laughing hard.  
  
"Stop it, stop it!" she gasped in between her snorts and giggled.  
  
"Say the magic word," Jonathan grinned, tickling her ribs. Martha and Clark watched, trying not to laugh; it was very hard.  
  
"Please?!" Linda asked.  
  
"That's not it," Jonathan replied.  
  
"Give!"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"I don't know!" Linda racked her brain in between giggles.   
  
"Say Twinkies!" Clark said.  
  
"Twinkies!" Linda shouted. Jonathan grinned, but he stopped tickling her. Linda and Jonathan both gasped as they sat up on the floor.  
  
"Have fun, you two?" Martha asked, smiling with Clark from the doorway.  
  
"Yep," Jonathan smiled proudly. He reached for the box of Twinkies on Linda's bed and put it in his lap. He opened it up and pulled out two individually-wrapped Twinkies and handed one to Linda; the two tore their snacks open and started eating. They grinned at Clark and Martha with their mouths full. Martha and Clark glanced at each other, then they walked over and sat on the floor - Martha on the other side of Linda and Clark on the other side of Jonathan. Jonathan handed Twinkies to the two; Linda snuggled against Martha while Clark leaned against his father, and the four of them just sat on the floor together munching their snacks.  
  
(End of Chapter 10) 


	11. Chapter 11

- - - -  
  
Donovan was alone in his lab as he carefully squeezed some of the contents of the vile from the eyedropper onto a microscope slide; he placed a slide cover over the sample and placed the slide under his most powerful microscope. He had returned from Smallville over nine hours ago, but he had been exhausted, and he knew his research would have to wait until he had gotten a few hours of sleep. His nerves were restless, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep without aid, so he took a few sleeping pills and crashed on the cot in his lab. He awoke, feeling rested and eager to begin his work.  
  
Donovan turned on the microscope and peered through the lens. His eyes widened at what he saw. There were two parts of the unknown substance; it was like human blood - there was a solid part and a liquid plasma-like part. There was nothing interesting about the plasma-like part - it was a pink purplish color and looked like a liquid gel. The sold part was more intriguing.  
  
There were tiny insect-like creatures swimming around in the gel. He changed the setting to the strongest possible and gasped softly. The creatures were actually made of metal, but they moved around as if they were alive. Donovan quickly processed what he was looking at - some form of nanotechnology.  
  
Alien nanotechnology, he reminded himself. He grinned as he reached for his phone; Lex was going to be very pleased.  
  
- - - -  
  
Chloe clacked away at her laptop in her apartment. She glanced at the clock on her wall and saw it was almost six in the evening. She had taken a sick day to put the finishing touches on Linda's 'past.' It had bumped her off of the perfect attendance roster at the Planet, but some things were more important than work.  
  
The young woman let her mind wander to her childhood friend. Her romantic feelings for him had long since disappeared, and she valued his friendship more than ever, especially after learning about his secret. She still felt guilty for all the times she put his secret at risk by putting her selfish curiosity - and it took her a while to admit it was selfish - ahead of the importance of her friendship with Clark, and that was a big part of why she was doing what she was doing with Linda; in a way, she felt she was making it up to Clark, even though she knew he had long-since forgiven her.  
  
Her laptop beeped, signaling her to come back to reality. She typed a few keys on the keyboard, and a screen came up. Chloe smiled. It was finished. She typed a few more keys, saving her work, then she printed out some papers; she stacked them neatly and put them in a thick manila envelope. She sealed the envelope and turned off her computer. She walked to the dining area and taped the envelope under the table with some scotch tape; she knew there was little chance of anyone knowing what she was up to, but after all her dealings with the Luthors in the past she wasn't going to take any chances. When she was finished, she walked over to her living room phone and dialed a number. It rang twice before it was answered.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Mrs. Kent," she said, "it's Chloe."  
  
"Hi, Chole," Martha replied. Chloe could almost hear her smiling. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Very well, thank you." She took a deep breath. "Um, I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much of a problem for me to come out tomorrow; I'm finished."  
  
There was a pause. "Of course," Martha replied. "That won't be a problem at all."  
  
"Great," Chloe smiled. "I'll call you tomorrow before I leave."  
  
"Okay. Thank you, Chloe."  
  
"My pleasure." Chloe put the phone on the hook and turned around. She felt so proud of herself that she almost shouted out. Instead, she settled for going to the freezer to get her pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream - and an old Mel Gibson movie.  
  
- - - -  
  
Martha replaced the phone and walked back to the kitchen table, where the four Kents were eating dinner.  
  
"That was Chloe," Martha said as she sat down. "She said she's finished."  
  
"That's great," Jonathan replied, smiling. He looked at Linda. "You know what that means?"  
  
"I get a past?" Linda asked.  
  
"That's right, sweetie," Jonathan replied. "And it means that, when Chloe gives us those papers, you'll officially be ours." Linda's eyes welled up with tears, and Jonathan's smile faded, as did Martha's and Clark's. "Linda, honey, that's a good thing."  
  
"I know," Linda replied softly, trying not to cry. "It's just . . . no one's ever wanted me to be theirs before. Ever."  
  
Clark reached over and put his arm around Linda's shoulders. "Well, get used to it, Short Stack," he replied, "because that's what you're going to be here." Linda smiled a bit through her tears.  
  
"Well, you know what that means," Martha spoke up. "We'll need to go get papers tomorrow so Linda can be admitted to go to school."  
  
"School?" Linda asked.  
  
"Honey, are you sure that's a good idea?" Jonathan asked Martha.  
  
"Jonathan, it's a couple of months away," Martha replied. "I'm sure by the time it starts up, Linda will be well adjusted enough."  
  
"What about home schooling?" Jonathan asked. "Or a private tutor?"  
  
"What is school?" Linda asked again, a little more insistent.  
  
"It's a place where you go to learn things with other people your age," Clark replied.  
  
"And where would I go if I had a private tutor?" Linda asked.  
  
"He or she would come here," Jonathan answered.  
  
"So, I wouldn't leave the farm?" Linda asked.  
  
"No."  
  
Linda shook her head. "I don't want that."  
  
Jonathan sighed. "Linda, I know -"  
  
"I'm sorry, Dad, but, as much as I love being here, I don't want to spend all my time on the farm. I don't want to feel as isolated here as I did on Argo City." She quickly lowered her head, feeling like she talked when she shouldn't have, and she tensed.  
  
Jonathan glanced over at Martha and Clark. He wanted to say no so badly, to keep her in a place he knew she'd be safe, but he knew she'd be miserable, and that would be the last thing he wanted to do to her. He knew he couldn't cage his dove anymore than he had been able to cage his eagle - and things had worked out with him. He took a deep breath and looked back at the young girl.  
  
"Linda?" The young girl slowly looked up. "If you want to go to school . . . we won't hold you back."  
  
Linda just stared at him for a few moments, then she slowly walked over to her adoptive father and hugged him tightly, burying her head in his shoulder as she started crying softly. Jonathan just held her close, letting her cry, stroking the back of her hair with his hand as Martha and Clark watched with smiles on their faces.  
  
(End of Chapter 11) 


	12. Chapter 12

- - - - 

"So, how did you manage to swing another day off?" Clark asked Pete as the two sat around the kitchen table the following morning. 

"Me working overtime with the Army last week," Pete answered around a mouthful of scrambled eggs. 

Linda only half listened as she sat in her place, concentrating more on her food than the conversation. She put two strawberries on her pancakes for eyes, one for the nose, and then a piece of bacon for the mouth; she added scrambled eggs around the top for hair, then grinned as she held up her work of art. 

"What do you think?" she asked. 

Jonathan ruffled her hair as he walked over and sat in his chair. "I think you need to concentrate on eating it as opposed to playing with it," he replied, smiling. Linda crinkled her nose, but she smiled as she put her plate down and started eating. 

"You're the one who taught her how to do that," Martha pointed out as she came over with a cup of coffee. She handed it to her husband, then went back to cleaning up the kitchen. 

"What?" Jonathan asked innocently as he doctored his coffee. 

"Oh, don't give me that innocent look, Jonathan Kent," Martha smiled, warning him with a wooden spoon. Jonathan grinned and sipped his coffee. 

Clark glanced at the wall clock, then he winced as he got to his feet. "Sorry to cut this short," he said, "but I need to get back to the Planet. Chloe and I will drop by later." He walked over and kissed Linda's forehead. "Later, Short Stack." 

"Don't call me Short Stack," Linda smiled, trying hard to look upset. 

Clark only grinned as he patted his father's shoulder. "Bye, Dad." 

"Take care, Clark," Jonathan smiled, putting his hand over his son's. 

Clark went over to his mother and kissed her cheek. "Bye, Mom." 

"Bye, sweetie." 

"See you later, Clark," Pete said. 

Clark waved and headed out the kitchen door. A few moments later, there was a whooshing sound. 

"Speaking of going, we need to leave too," Martha added, looking at Jonathan. "Our appointment at the high school's in twenty minutes." 

Jonathan nodded and got to his feet. He gave Linda a concerned look, like he wanted to say something, ask her if she really wanted to go to school, but he refrained himself. He smiled warmly. "Don't forget to do your chores," he said. Linda smiled and nodded, her mouth full of bacon. 

"Pete, thanks again for watching Linda," Martha said as she and Jonathan hurried toward the back door. 

"No problem," Pete replied, smiling. 

"And no sweets," Jonathan added. 

"Okay," Pete said, holding up his hands. 

"We'll be back soon," Martha replied. "Bye, Linda." 

"Bye, sweetie," Jonathan said. 

"Bye, Mom," Linda replied. "Bye, Dad." 

The Kents left, leaving Pete and Linda alone in the kitchen. Linda tilted her head and lowered her glasses. She watched with her X-ray vision as her parents got into the blue truck and drove off. She switched back to her normal vision and pushed her glasses back up on her nose as she looked back at Pete. 

"Okay, Miss I-Can-See-Through-Solid-Objects," he grinned, "you want to help me with KP duty before we go out and tackle the chores?" 

"You don't have to help me with the chores," Linda said as she grabbed the rest of the bacon from the bowl and quickly wolfed them down; she couldn't believe how her appetite had changed since arriving on Earth, but she figured it was because of all the delicious food. She put that thought aside as she swallowed the food and sighed with content. 

Pete chuckled. "You know, you pack away as much food as Clark does," he said. 

Linda shrugged and smiled as she got to her feet and started gathering up the dishes. Pete got up from his chair and started helping her. 

- - - - 

Zor-El stared at the statue in the middle of the town square, a commemoration for a recent space shuttle mission in which one of Smallville's citizens was a passenger. The Kryptonian noble miffed at the pathetic excuse of a tribute; he remembered all the statues in the Great Hall in Argo City, most of them belonging to the House of El for all its contributions to furthering the advancement of Kryptonian culture. There was an inscription at the base of the statue, and Zor-El focused on what it said: _

_

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,   
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;   
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth   
Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things_.   
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace   
Where never lark, nor even eagle flew.   
And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod   
The high untrespassed sanctity of space... 

-John Gillespie Magee, Jr., High Flight 

"On January 28, 2006, the USS Phoenix lifted off from Cape Canaveral with seven professionals whose mission was to re-establish humanity's presence on the Moon and use the surface as a base from which to monitor and record radiation signatures from beyond our solar system. Two days into the mission, the shuttle experienced exposure to an unidentified radiation source, with drastic results. Though they performed above the call of duty, the shuttle crew was nearly lost; they owe their survival in part to their incredible endurance and in part to the mission's lone civilian, Dr. Erin Stone. Dr. Stone, who joined the mission to conduct orbital tests of the effects of various types of radiation on plants, helped maintain order and developed special shielding to lower each crew member's exposure to the radiation. The crew was able to complete its task and return safely to Earth. On behalf of NASA and the President of the United States, this monument stands in honor of Dr. Stone, for her extreme bravery in the face of danger and her dedication to her chosen field. We are sure that wherever she may go, the heavens will shower fortune at her feet." 

January 28, 2007 

The Kryptonian noble sneered at the inscription for a second before he slammed a fist into the statue. The granite crumbled easily under his blow, collapsing into dust and pieces on the ground at his feet. He didn't even bother wiping his hands as he pivoted on his feet and looked around. He saw pedestrians on the sidewalk staring at him, stunned. He didn't give them the time of day as he walked into the street. He didn't see the blue truck as it slammed on its breaks, stopping short of him. He turned and looked at the driver. 

Jonathan stared at the man whom he nearly hit with his truck. He recognized the man from when Martha bumped into him the day before. His eyes locked with the stranger's, and then the stranger narrowed his eyes at the farmer; a few moments later, he blurred down the street, heading southwest out of town. 

"Jonathan, did you see that?" Martha asked, her eyes wide. 

"I did," Jonathan replied. His paternal radar was going crazy. He didn't know that man, but the power that he just displayed, and the look of hatred and disgust in the stranger's eyes, filled Jonathan with worry; he glanced to his side and saw the statue - or what was left of it - as people started gathering around. He felt his heart skip as his stomach turned to ice. He hit the accelerator, racing down the street as fast as he dared. 

- - - - 

"So, what do want to do when you start school?" Pete asked as he mucked out the stalls. Linda was on the other side of the barn; she lifted heavy bales of hay and tossed them up to the loft. She ran up the nearby ladder at superspeed and easily caught the bales, then she stacked them with the others already in the loft. 

"Do?" Linda asked. 

"Yeah, what classes do you want to take?" Pete clarified. "What clubs do you want to join?" 

Linda pursed her lips, then she ran down the ladder and back over to the bales on the barn floor. She smiled as she easily lifted the bales; she would never tire of these chores, not because her strength and speed gave her an advantage; she just loved how she was allowed to do things for herself. 

"I don't know," she replied. She tossed the bales, ran up, caught the bales, and stacked them. "I haven't really thought about it." She shrugged and looked embarrassed. "I don't even know what's out there." 

Pete stopped and smiled up at her. "Lots of stuff," he replied. "What do you like doing?" 

Linda came down and stopped near Pete. "Farm chores," she replied. "And reading . . . and playing that card game on the computer." 

Pete chuckled. "Well, I'm not sure how much has changed since Clark and I went to school, but I don't think they offer much in the way of farm chores or how to play Solitare." Linda's face fell, and Pete put a hand on her shoulder. "But that doesn't mean there's nothing out there for you; all you have to do is look around and find something that you like." 

"That would be a pointless exercise." 

Pete and Linda turned toward the sound of the voice; they saw a tall man in black standing just outside the sliding doors. Pete furrowed his eyebrows slightly as the hairs on his neck stood up; he eyed the man with extreme caution. 

"Who are you?" he asked. 

The man glared at Pete, then he looked back at Linda. The young woman was frozen in her spot, her face pale, her eyes wide in fear. It pleased him that he still had the power to instill fear in her, but it was short-lived; she had humiliated him, and she was going to pay dearly for that. He walked towards them. 

"You're coming with me," he said to Linda. 

Pete stepped in front of Linda, blocking her from the man. "She's not going anywhere with you," he said, frowning. 

Zor-El reached out and grabbed Pete around his neck, hoisting him almost a foot off the ground; he narrowed his eyes at the young man as Pete started choking. 

"Who are you?" Pete wheezed. 

"I'm here for my daughter," Zor-El growled. He stared at him for a few seconds before he tossed him aside. Pete hit the far wall of the barn and crumpled to the floor unconscious. Zor-El turned back to his daughter as she slowly backed away, her eyes wide with fear. She turned and ran in fear, but Zor-El blurred over and blocked her path. She turned around and ran back the way she came, but Zor-El blocked her path once again. He grabbed her by the front of her shirt and lifted her off the ground; she cried deep in her throat. 

"I've waited a long time for this," he growled before throwing her through the open barn doors. 

(End of Chapter 12) 


	13. Chapter 13

- - - -  
  
Linda sailed through the air, the world around her in a blur of green and blue. Her body tensed reflexively, waiting for the hard landing; a few moments later, she slammed into the side of the red truck. The impact dented the metal, smashed the side window, and cracked the windshield, and the force of the young girl hitting the vehicle caused it to flip on its side as she lay in a crumpled heap on the ground beside it. She groaned softly as she slowly rolled onto her side; even with her strength and resilience her body still hurt, and she could already feel the bruises that she knew would be forming. She tried to get to her feet, but all she managed was to get on her hands and knees; her body shook with fear and pain as Zor-El walked over to her, towering over her.  
  
"Did you think you could run away and I'd never find you?" he growled. He reached down and grabbed her by her hair, hoisting her to her feet; he held her as he stared down at her through cold, heartless eyes as Linda's eyes welled with tears. "That I wouldn't come and take back what is rightfully my property?"  
  
Zor-El flung Linda aside; she landed hard on the gravel drive. Before she could even move, Zor-El blurred over. "You have been nothing but trouble from the time you were created!" He swiftly kicked her in her side. Linda shouted as pain shot through her body; she tried to roll on her side, but she hurt too much. "Ungrateful!" Another kick. "Stupid!" Kick. "Worthless!" He kicked her once more for good measure, then he just stood there, looking down at her. A cruel smile played on his lips. He was pleased that his ability to instill fear and pain on her hadn't diminished. He had always hated her because she was a failure - and now a traitor. He hoisted her to her feet, hearing her whimper in her throat.  
  
"I never liked this planet," he growled, "and I still can't understand why our ancestors felt it necessary to come here in the first place, aside from having these incredible powers, but at least they were smart enough to construct a gateway that would quickly take them back home." It was the only thing he liked about the caves his ancestors had built; they were next to useless in his opinion, but the fact that they had been designed as not just an information bank, but as a means of transportation to and from the former major cities of Krypton made Zor-El silently thank Rao that he wouldn't have to spend more time than was necessary with the wretched creature he held. He shifted her until he was holding her under one arm, then he blurred away from the farm, failing to notice the young man propping himself up against the barn door.   
  
Pete wanted to go help Linda, do something, but it took all his strength just to stand up; his body shook in pain, and his knees threatened to give out from him any second. He slowly turned his head when he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching, and he sighed with relief when he saw it was the familiar blue truck. He watched as the truck skidded to a halt near the barn and both Martha and Jonathan got out. They hurried over, worry written on their faces, as Pete started limping over; his knees gave out, and he collapsed, but Jonathan was close enough to catch him before the young man hit the ground.  
  
"Pete, what happened?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"He took her," Pete mumbled, trying to stay conscious; his head was killing him.  
  
"Who?" Martha asked.  
  
Pete nodded. "Linda's father . . . I'm sorry; I tried to stop him . . . he was too strong . . . ."  
  
"It's okay, Pete," Jonathan reassured his son's friend, automatically falling into his most soothing tone. "We're not mad at you, but we need to know where he took her."  
  
"He kept talking about something their ancestors built," Pete mumbled slowly. "A gateway or something like that."  
  
Jonathan racked his brain, and then it suddenly clicked. "The caves." He turned to Martha. "Honey, call Clark. Tell him what's going on. I'm taking Pete to the hospital." Martha nodded and ran off towards the house as Jonathan carefully helped Pete to the truck.  
  
- - - -  
  
Chloe was passing Clark's desk when is phone rang. Since Clark wasn't at his desk, she looked around and spotted her friend at the vending machines; he was talking with Jimmy as they munched on candy bars. She shook her head, wondering how they could have such a sugar rush so early in the morning. She sighed and picked up the receiver on the third ring.  
  
"Daily Planet, Clark Kent's desk," she answered.  
  
"Chloe, where's Clark?" Martha asked frantically.  
  
Chloe had never heard the woman speak with such panic and fear in her voice; she furrowed her eyebrows, concerned. "Mrs. Kent, what's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Linda's father's here," Martha said. "He came to the barn while we were gone and attacked Pete and Linda; Pete's been hurt."  
  
"What about Linda?" Chloe asked quietly.  
  
There was a pause. "He took her," Martha said. "To the caves. He's trying to take her back to Argo City."  
  
"Don't worry," Chloe replied. "I'll tell Clark." She hung up then hurried over to Clark and Jimmy. "Clark, we need to talk."  
  
"What's up, Chlo?" Clark asked, polishing off the last of his Butterfingers bar. Chloe just gave him a look; Clark recognized the look. "Okay." He nodded at Jimmy. "Jimmy, could you excuse us?"  
  
"Sure," Jimmy replied. "I need to go check on some film anyway." He left the two and headed for the elevators.  
  
Clark turned to Chloe. "What's wrong, Chloe?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Linda's father is in Smallville," she replied. "He attacked Pete and Linda. Pete's been hurt, and Zor-El took Linda. Your mom said he's going to go to the caves." Chloe saw all the blood drain from Clark's face as he set his lips in a straight line. She saw an anger in his eyes she had never seen before; his fists clenched as he headed for the stairwell door, leaving Chloe alone at the vending machines.  
  
- - - -  
  
Linda whimpered as Zor-El carried her through the caves. She wanted to cry so badly, to scream for help, hoping someone would hear her and help her, but she was too scared. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she gasped softly, trying not to cry out loud. Zor-El stopped and threw her roughly to the ground. The young girl managed to stay on her hands and knees, and her body shook; she had to look at the ground, biting her lip to keep from making a sound.  
  
"Look at you," he sneered. "You disgust me. If it was up to me, you'd be dead already; I would crush you with my bare hands, but the Council wants me to bring you back alive." He smiled cruelly at the young woman. "Unlike Rok-Var."  
  
Linda looked up at him. "What about him?" she asked quietly.  
  
"He was punished by my own hands," Zor-El replied. He flexed his hands, looking at them. "Even without these incredible powers, I still had the ability to kill. Then again, Rok-Var wasn't much of an opponent to begin with." His smile got bigger. "The only thing that made it worthwhile was the fact that his death was slow and painful."  
  
Linda stared in disbelief at her father. Her eyes slowly widened as she felt her anger build up. She shouted and lunged at Zor-El, but he swiftly brought up his arm and backhanded her. He made contact with her face, and the force of the blow knocked her backwards into walls. She crumpled to the ground as a small trail of blood trickled out of her nose; the corner of her lip was split and bleeding as well. She looked up at Zor-El as he raised his hand, fist clenched, ready to hit her again, when a red and blue blur sped into the caves and slammed into Zor-El. The noise was deafening as the impact drove Zor-El and the blur down the caves; they hit the far wall, causing the whole cave system to shake. Linda carefully got to her feet and looked down the cave; she gasped when she saw her cousin - in Superman costume - standing over an unconscious Zor-El as he lay, face down on the ground.  
  
"Clark," Linda whispered softly. The hero turned around, and the young girl could see anger and hatred on his face, but it instantly changed to one of relief and worry. He hurried over and hugged her; he felt her wince under his touch. He let her go and knelt down in front of her.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
Linda opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't form any coherent words as tears spilled down her cheeks. Superman tenderly dotted them away with his thumbs. He wanted to take her and hold her, comfort her and rock her until she was better, but he had something else to take care of first.  
  
"Linda," he said seriously, "I want you to leave and go back home, okay?"  
  
"But what about my father?" Linda whispered.  
  
"I'll take care of him," Superman replied reassuringly. "Now, please go home. Mom's there, and I want you to stay with her, okay?" Linda slowly nodded and headed out of the caves as fast as she could.  
  
Superman sighed and turned around. He wasn't expecting to see his biological uncle standing behind him, staring at him with pure hatred; Superman barely had time to register the fact as Zor-El pulled back his fist and hit his nephew with all the strength he could muster.  
  
(End of Chapter 13) 


	14. Chapter 14

- - - -  
  
It took every ounce of strength Linda had to leave the caves. She was scared and in pain; she wanted to sink to the ground and rest, but she knew she couldn't. She pushed through the pain and fear as she stumbled off in the direction of the farmhouse. The young girl could feel the ground shuddering beneath her, and part of her wanted to X-ray and see what was going on, but she didn't. She kept her mind focused on the farm, on being safe with Martha, and she forced herself to keep walking. Suddenly, there was a deep rumble, and the ground in front of her exploded.   
  
Linda fell to her knees and instinctively covered her head as dirt rained down on her, pelting her with rocks and clods of soil. She heard a loud whooshing sound pierce the air, and she looked up. Through the cloud of dust, she saw a red, blue, and black form hurtling through the sky; she stared, open mouthed, unable to move, as the object headed toward Smallville.  
  
- - - -  
  
Pedestrians were walked down both sides of Main Street, going about their business, when they heard a sort of whistling overhead; the sound got louder, and a few moments later, something slammed into the middle of the street, right in front of the Talon. People screamed and scattered for shelter, covering their heads; memories of the 1989 meteor shower were still fresh in the minds of the older citizens, while the younger generations just ducked for cover. Some of the more courageous of the witnesses looked over as the dust cleared and saw a large crater in the middle of the street. They watched in shock as Superman crawled out of the crater, unscathed, dust covering parts of his costume. He looked around, trying to assess what damage had been done; he saw the statue in the town square in a crumbled pile of granite, surrounded by yellow police tape. People were standing, and most of the area was unscathed, save for the car-sized pothole in the middle of the street; the young man breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to figure out what to do with Zor-El.  
  
Superman looked down into the crater, but there was nothing in there - not Zor-El or anything. Confused, he turned around, and he saw Zor-El standing with a mailbox over his head. He brought it down to crush Superman, but the young man managed to reach up and catch the mailbox; he strained and locked his elbows as Zor-El pushed down with all his might, trying to drive the hero into the ground. But Superman had two things that his uncle didn't: youth and more converted solar energy, which equated to more power. The young hero tapped into that power and lunged upward with all his might. Zor-El went flying backwards through the air; he landed on top of a car fifty feet away, smashing the body and glass. Superman took the mailbox he was holding and set it on the ground before heading towards Zor-El.  
  
- - - -  
  
Williams paced his office located in the temporary base just on the outskirts of Smallville. The two officers standing before him stood at attention; their superior's anger was contained, but they could still see he was angry - no, he was downright furious, and they knew why; it was why they were in his office in the first place: some of the unknown sample from the crash site had disappeared from the lab at Fort Truman - and Williams had ordered them to conduct an investigation; now they were in his office to give him an update. The Colonel walked back to his desk and sat down.  
  
"What's the status?" he asked.  
  
"We have officers looking at the security tapes," the first officer answered.  
  
"They're also questioning who was in the lab at the time of the incident," the second officer added.  
  
"Good," Williams replied. His phone rang, and he picked it up after the first ring. "Williams." He listened, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'll get on it." He hung up and quickly got to his feet; he talked to the officers as he headed for the door. "I expect a full report as soon as you've gathered your findings." The officers quickly saluted, and he saluted back; his mind was so focused on what he had been told over the phone that his gesture had reduced the whole act to a mere formality as he hurried from his office.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jimmy headed to Perry's office from the elevators, his arms full of freshly processed photo. He had just reached his boss' door when the door opened and Perry came out.  
  
"Olsen!" he shouted, not seeing the teenager in front of him. Startled, Jimmy jumped, the photos flying from his hands, scattering them everywhere. Perry noticed Jimmy as the young photographer knelt down and started picking up the photos. "Oh, there you are."  
  
"What do you need, Chief?" Olsen asked.  
  
"Grab your camera and find Sullivan and Kent," Perry ordered. "You three are going to Smallville."  
  
"What's going on?" Chloe asked as she approached the editor.  
  
"Just got a call," Perry answered. "Superman's in your hometown, fighting with some guy who's apparently as strong as he is; they're tearing main street apart." Chloe looked wide eyed as her mouth formed a small 'o.' She knew who the other guy was, and she immediately started worrying. "Now, where's Kent?"  
  
"Uh," Chloe said slowly, "I think he said he had to go pick up his dry cleaning." She inwardly winced; she knew it wasn't the best excuse, but she couldn't say 'Oh, he's already in Smallville, Chief; he's fighting the guy, who happens to be his biological uncle.'  
  
Perry sighed, frustrated. "Okay, then you and Olsen are going alone," he said.  
  
"I can go, Chief," Lois said as she walked over.  
  
"Not happening, Lane," Perry replied.  
  
"Why not?" Lois asked, frowning.  
  
"Because you don't know Smallville like your cousin," Perry answered. He turned to Chloe and Jimmy. "I just talked with Phil. He's waiting with the chopper on the roof." Chloe and Jimmy left; Jimmy grabbed his camera and camera bag from his desk, before he and Chloe headed for the elevators.  
  
"Why not?" Lois asked again.  
  
Perry turned back to Lois. "Because you already have a job here to do."  
  
"I just finished my story," Lois replied.   
  
"Good," Perry said. "Then you can pick up the photos Olsen dropped." He turned and went back into his office, closing the door in Lois' face. Lois just stared at him, open-mouthed in shock.  
  
(End of Chapter 14) 


	15. Chapter 15

- - - -  
  
Superman strained against his opponent as they continued fighting in the middle of Smallville. He tried to stay fully focused on fighting his opponent, but his thoughts kept drifting to all the people the fight was endangering. He silently cursed his error in judgment; he hated putting people, especially people he knew, in unnecessary danger when he was fighting or helping them. He grunted as Zor-El threw a punch at him, slamming his fist into his face. Superman grunted and flew through the air, crashing through the display window of Fordman's. He heard people scattering and screaming as debris rained down on him; he lay, stunned from the blow, praying that no one had been hurt.  
  
"Help!"  
  
Superman was instantly on his feet, and he looked into the store. One of the big display cases had fallen on a woman, and she was trapped. He blurred over and carefully lifted heavy cases off the woman. He quickly x-rayed her; thankfully, she didn't have any broken bones, just some scratches and bruises. He tossed the case aside and helped her to her feet.  
  
"You're going to be just fine, ma'am," he said. He pointed to the backdoor, seeing other people using it as an escape route. "Just follow those people out."  
  
"Thank you." The woman was shaken, but she hurried out of the building. Superman turned around and glared at his uncle; his anger was even more prominent when he saw his uncle was smirking.  
  
"You really are pathetic and weak," Zor-El said as Superman slowly walked out of the store. "You actually care about these pitiful humans."  
  
"I'd say the only thing around here that's pitiful is you," Superman replied.  
  
"You have no idea how much power you have, and you squander it protecting these primitives when you should be ruling over them," Zor-El said.  
  
"That would accomplish nothing," Superman replied.  
  
"Fear of pain and possible annihilation is more than enough of an accomplishment for me," Zor-El. There was the sound of approaching vehicles, and both Zor-El and Superman turned to the sound. Two Army jeep vehicles, loaded with soldiers, were approaching fast. Zor-El squinted slightly, and two heat beams shot from his eyes. They hit the vehicles, and the engines exploded, sending soldiers tumbling as the jeeps crashed into buildings.  
  
Superman narrowed his eyes as he blurred toward his uncle. In one swift motion, he grabbed Zor-El and threw him. The older Kryptonian went flying high through the air, barely clearing the water tower, heading far away from the city. Then he hurried over to the jeeps and used his super breath to put out the flames. When he finished, he turned to leap into the air after his uncle, but there were shouts for help. He knew he needed to go after Zor-El, but there were people who needed his help; he turned back to go offer his aid.   
  
- - - -  
  
Linda ran through the grassy field at normal speed. She was tired and exhausted and in pain, but she ran. She kept thinking about the security and warmth that the farm offered her - that Martha offered her. The bruises and cuts were still prominent on her face, but she could literally feel them healing as her body converted the solar energy radiating into her. She approached the Smallville Cemetery when she heard a loud whistling sound. She looked up as an object fell from the sky and slammed into the ground, sending debris and a cloud of dust into the air.  
  
Linda coughed as the cloud of dust cleared, and she saw her father laying face down on the ground. She watched as he slowly got to his feet and start dusting himself. The young girl narrowed her eyes; the hatred, fear, and anger that she had been keeping suppressed for her entire life boiled inside her and burst through. She saw nothing but red and she blurred over to him at super speed, all traces of pain gone. Zor-El looked up and barely had time to register seeing his daughter as she balled up her fist and hit him with every ounce of her strength in her.  
  
The sound was like thunder and shook the ground like an earthquake as Zor-El went flying through the air. Linda would have been amazed at the level of in her, but her blinders were on: she was focused only on her father. Her blood boiled with a murderous rage as she sped off after him at super speed.  
  
- - - -  
  
Superman heard the loud crack as the ground shook. He looked up from his rescue efforts in the direction the sound came. He glanced back at the soldiers he helped and could see they had everything well in hand. He turned and leapt into the air, heading southwest. He paused in mid-flight when he saw Zor-El sailing through the air and Linda running at full speed in the same direction. He watched as Zor-El sailed north of Smallville and landed in Crater Lake. Superman descended into the forest as Linda sped onto the docks.  
  
- - - -  
  
Linda stopped at the edge of the dock. Zor-El thrashed wildly in the water, trying to stay afloat. She watched him coldly, reveling in the fact that, for once, he was helpless.  
  
Superman emerged from the forest and just stood near the wooden sign that said 'Crater Lake. He stopped when he saw Linda standing on the docks, watching Zor-El struggle. He wanted to go help, but he knew that this was something Linda needed to deal with; he just prayed she would do the right thing.  
  
"Help me!" he shouted as he flailed his arms, coughing as he choked on water. He was also starting to feel sick and weak - something that was alien to him. He looked at his daughter with pleading eyes. "Please!"  
  
"Why should I?" Linda asked, her voice hauntingly calm.  
  
"Because I am your father!" Zor-El sputtered.  
  
"You were never my father!" Linda shouted angrily. "You never cared for me! I was nothing more to you than a piece of property!"  
  
"I taught you what you needed to know!" Zor-El replied. "To respect all things Kryptonian!"  
  
"What I needed was love and protection!" Linda retorted. "All you taught me was hate and fear!"  
  
Zor-El continued to struggle, but his anger was building. "Emotions are weak, flaws for primitives!" He sputtered and coughed, getting weaker and weaker.  
  
"Yeah, well, these 'primitives' taught me everything I needed to know and given me everything I've ever wanted!" Linda replied, narrowing her eyes. "I have made friends here! I have a family that loves me - a cousin who treats me like a sister, and parents who treat me as if I was really their own daughter! You offered me nothing and expected everything! They offered me everything and expect nothing!" She stopped to catch her breath. "I'm staying here, and there's nothing you can do about it!" She turned and walked away, then she paused briefly and looked over her shoulder. "And if you want to live so badly, then save yourself." She walked away, leaving Zor-El sputtering and struggling.  
  
Linda was halfway down the dock when she stopped in her tracks. She got a horribly sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she turned around to look at her father. She saw him thrashing and straining to stay afloat, and his face was stark white. She closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't just leave him to die, even after everything he did to her; she knew if she did, she'd be no better than him - and she vowed herself that she would *never* be like her father.  
  
The young girl ran back down the dock, and leapt into the air, intending to do everything in her power to save him, but something caught her in midair and pulled her back in. She turned around and saw her cousin holding her tightly around the waist. She looked back at her father and saw him sink below the water.  
  
"We have to save him!" she shouted, struggling against Superman.  
  
"Linda, there's nothing we can do for him," Superman replied, having to straining against her. "We can't save him now."  
  
Linda continued to struggle as tears streamed down her cheeks. She finally stopped struggling and started crying loudly. Superman turned her around and held her close to him, comforting her and whispering softly to her. His superhearing picked up sirens in the distance.  
  
"Come on," he said softly as he picked up Linda. "Let's get you back home." He gently lifted into the air and headed for the Kent Farm.  
  
(End of Chapter 15) 


	16. Chapter 16

- - - - 

Lois fumed as she drove down the interstate towards Smallville. She couldn't believe how Perry had acted towards her at the Planet, and then what he told her when she barged into his office, the photos he told her to pick up in her hands, slamming them onto his desk. 

_ "Perry, cut the crap," she said. "Why won't you really let me go to Smallville? It's an incredible story." _

"You want to know why you're not going?" he asked. He got to his feet, resting his knuckles on the desk. Lois folded her arms. "It's because I don't like your obsession with Superman. Sure, he's a great hero, but your personal opinions have a way of seeping into your work ever since he showed up, and I'm not going to let that happen with this story - or any future stories, for that matter. Chloe's more objective about him, and considering it's her hometown, she's the best person. Can you handle that?" 

"Sure," Lois replied, annoyed and a little indignant; her cheeks were red. 

Perry sighed, softening a bit. "Lois, honey, you're a great reporter, the best in the entire city, and I don't want to see that talent go to waste. Okay?" 

"Does this mean I can go to Smallville?" Lois asked. 

"No," Perry replied. "I want you to find Kent. I've been calling his cell; all I get is his voicemail." 

"Fine," Lois said, rolling her eyes. She left the office, shutting the door behind her. She grumbled as she walked to her desk, cursing the farm boy's absence. She stopped and then she smirked slyly. She gathered her things and headed for the elevators. 

- - - - 

Lois sighed and leaned back. She knew she was going to be in hot water for disobeying Perry, but she didn't care; there was a story to cover, and as much as she valued her cousin, Superman exclusives were her territory. There was nothing wrong with her wanting to see Superman. He was a good man . . . with a tight costume that showed his rippling muscles and how tight his - 

Lois shook that image from her head; she loved fantasizing about the hero, but she had to concentrate on her driving. She turned on the radio, letting it blare loudly as she headed towards Smallville. 

- - - - 

The television set in the library was on, showing pictures of the damage in Smallville, but Lex was barely listening to it as he paced the length of the room, talking on his cell phone to his people at Cadmus. 

"I don't care what you have to do," he said. "Get a crew together now and get down here; I want that . . . thing found before the Army gets a hold of it." He hung up and slammed his phone onto the desk. He didn't know what Superman had fought, but Lex was very perceptive. His source in the Army had informed him of eyewitness account, telling of the unknown person's strength, and how he had shot heat beams from his eyes. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the creature was an alien, probably a Kryptonian like Superman, considering they shared similar powers. Lex was willing to bet the newcomer was also connected to the mysterious crash a week earlier, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure he found the alien before the Army did. He turned to the television and saw Superman helping clean up some of the debris. 

"What are you hiding?" he growled at his nemesis. 

- - - - 

Superman lifted a crumpled car onto the back of a truck bed, then he turned as he heard the sound of a chopper. He recognized the Daily Planet logo on the side, and inwardly sighed; the last thing he wanted was to see Lois. He liked her, but the way she acted around him when he was in costume . . . he didn't need that at the moment. He was surprised to see Chloe and Jimmy emerge - without Lois, and he did his best to hide his relief. He nodded at the workers and excused himself as he walked over to Chloe as Jimmy left to go take pictures of the damage. 

"Hi," Chloe said quietly. 

"Hi," Superman replied. 

"How bad is it?" 

Superman looked grim. "Luckily no one was seriously injured, just a few broken bones." He still looked upset. 

"And Pete?" 

"I don't know." 

"What about Linda?" Chloe asked. 

"She's . . . at home," Superman answered. "She's pretty shaken up." 

"I'm sorry," Chloe said sincerely. She looked past Superman at the damage. "Look, you go take care of everything; can we talk later?" 

"Sure," Superman replied. He smiled and nodded briefly, fighting the urge to hug her, as he headed back to take care of the damage. Chloe watched him, then she shifted into reporter mode and went to talk with the authorities. 

- - - - 

Linda was curled on her side on her bed, staring numbly at the wall. Martha was sitting beside her, and Jonathan - he had returned from the hospital - was sitting beside his wife. The young girl hadn't said anything since Clark brought her home; she wouldn't even let Martha tend to her wounds, and it was starting to worry the Kents. 

"Sweetie," Martha said softly. 

"I'm not a sweetie," Linda whispered. "I'm nothing but trouble." 

"That's not true," Jonathan replied. 

"It is," the young girl said. She sat up, tears in her eyes. "My father was right; everyone would have been a lot better off if I had never been born." 

"Why would you think that?" Martha asked. 

"Because it's true," Linda answered. "Ever since I've gotten here I've broken stuff and gotten people looking into the crash site, including Lex, plus there's everything with my father coming here . . . he hurt Pete . . . caused all that damage . . ." She turned away. "I shouldn't have run away . . . then none of this would have happened." 

Jonathan put his hand on Linda's shoulder. "Linda, I want you to listen to me," he said. "None of this is your fault. It's Zor-El's." 

"But he wouldn't have come here if I hadn't run away." 

"Linda," Jonathan replied firmly. "You wouldn't have had to run away if he hadn't treated you the way he did." He reached over and tilted her chin up. "Honey, I know it might seem hard to believe this right now, but you are not trouble. You are so precious, just like we told you; you are part of this family now . . . and nothing will change that. Ever." 

Linda looked at Jonathan and Martha, and then she broke. Jonathan and Martha wrapped their arms around her and held her, letting her release her emotions. 

"But why couldn't I save him?" Linda asked, her head buried in Jonathan's shoulder. "Why couldn't Clark save him?" 

"Because you would have both died as well," Martha replied. "Crater Lake was created during the meteor shower; the bottom is full of kryptonite rocks." 

"Kryptonite?" Linda asked, looking up at her adoptive mother. 

"Remember the green death you told us about?" Jonathan asked. Linda nodded slowly. "Well, since it was part of Krypton, when the planet exploded, those rocks fell to Earth with Clark's ship. They can kill anyone from the planet here like they did back on Krypton, and Clark didn't want to lose you." He touched her cheek with his hand. "And neither do we." Linda felt loads better just by those words, and both Martha and Jonathan could see her visibly relaxing. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. 

"You know, Pete kept asking about you when I was with him at the hospital," he continued. 

"Is he okay?" Linda asked. 

Jonathan smiled warmly. "Do you want to go find out?" 

Linda looked up, shocked. "Really?" 

Jonathan nodded. "Really." Linda hugged him tightly. Jonathan held her close, rubbing the back of her hair with his hand. He glanced up at his wife and saw her smiling at him; he smiled back. 

(End of Chapter 16) 


	17. Chapter 17

- - - -  
  
Linda made sure to stay between Jonathan and Martha as they walked down the corridor inside the Smallville Medical Center. She was quiet, but she looked around, amazed at the people and the equipment she saw. On their way over, Martha had explained to her what a hospital was, and Linda had listened patiently; she was curious about everything a hospital offered, but when she saw into through the open doors of the rooms she passed, she wasn't prepared to see all the sick and injured people; she quickly averted her attention and walked with her parents.  
  
In a few moments, they came to another room and Linda looked in as her parents walked into the room; Pete was in a semi-sitting up position, his head bruised with a few bandages; his eyes were closed. She stopped short of the door, too scared to go in. Jonathan and Martha turned.  
  
"It's okay," Jonathan said softly. He held out his hand for her. "Come on in."  
  
Linda looked reluctant, and she saw Pete open his eyes; he looked over and smiled when he recognized the Kents. His gaze fell on the young girl standing just outside his door, and his smile changed to relief.  
  
"Hey, E.T.," he said, his voice tired and a bit raspy. "You can come in; I don't bite." Linda hesitated, but she slowly walked into the room and made her way over to stand with her adoptive parents by Pete's bed. The patient looked satisfied as he smiled at the young girl. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" He chuckled and winced, touching his side.   
  
"You're hurt," Linda whispered.  
  
"Eh, just a few cracked ribs," Pete replied. "And a concussion." He tried grinning again, but it came out more as a grimace. "Doctor says I should be out of here in a week."  
  
"I'm sorry," Linda said.  
  
"Not your fault," Pete replied. He grinned. "Looks like you heal up as fast as Clark." His grin turned to an apologetic expression. "Sorry I couldn't stop your father from hurting you."  
  
"You have nothing to apologize for," Linda said softly.  
  
Pete sighed. "Look, we could go on feeling sorry for ourselves about what happened and try to take blame for it, but it's said and done with. We have other things to talk about."  
  
"Like what?" Linda asked.  
  
Pete smiled. "Like a Star Wars movie marathon when I get out of here. Deal?"  
  
Linda was relieved that Pete was feeling better, but she couldn't bring herself to be as happy as she knew she should have been. Still, she put on a small smile; the last thing she wanted to do was have everyone worry about her. "Deal," she said softly.  
  
- - - -  
  
Clark gently set the crumpled red truck in the center of the barn and looked at his as Jonathan came over. It was three hours after sundown before the young man felt the damage in Smallville was repaired enough for him to leave. Chloe and Jimmy were still in town, working on the story, and Lois had joined them right as he took off. He listened to her rant and rave as he headed home, smiling; she was always kind of cute when she was peeved. Then again, she always looked cute to him . . . he made a mental note to ask her to lunch the next day.  
  
"Son?" Clark shook his thoughts clear and glanced over at his father. He was smiling at his son. "You can let go of the truck now; it's been damaged enough." He nodded at Clark's hands.   
  
Clark looked down and saw he had his fingers sunk clear through the metal hood. He pulled his hands out, blushing. "Sorry," he said.  
  
"It's okay," Jonathan replied, smiling.   
  
Clark looked at the damage. "Think she can be fixed this time?"  
  
"Compared to Linda," Jonathan answered, "I don't know." Clark looked confused, and Jonathan nodded up towards the loft. "She's been up there since we got home from seeing Pete."  
  
"She blames herself for him being hurt?" Clark asked.  
  
"No. She said it wasn't that, but when we asked her what it was, she got really quiet."  
  
"I'll go talk to her." Clark left his father with the truck and made his way up the loft stairs. He saw Linda leaning against the loft, staring numbly out into the night. He slowly walked over and stood beside her. "Hi." That's when he saw the tear streaks on her cheeks. "Hey, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Linda replied.  
  
"Uh huh," Clark said. "I'm not convinced, Linda." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Talk to me."  
  
"He's dead," Linda whispered.  
  
"Who's dead?" Clark asked.  
  
"Rok-Var," Linda answered. She looked at Clark, her eyes full of pain and sorrow. "My father killed my best friend for helping me run away." She lowered her head and started crying. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to him . . . ." Clark felt his heart breaking as he gently pulled his cousin to her and held her as she cried on his shoulder.  
  
Jonathan heard the commotion and came up the stairs. He saw Clark holding Linda as she cried and he hurried over. "What happened?"  
  
"She's mourning," Clark said. Jonathan looked confused. "Her father killed Rok-Var."  
  
Jonathan looked heartbroken as he put his arms around Linda from behind, cocooning her. "I'm so sorry, sweetie," he whispered, softly rubbing her hair. He didn't know what else to say; he didn't know if there was anything *to* say. He sighed and just held her as he cries started subsiding; he looked up as he heard a pair of footsteps coming up; Martha and Chloe were looking on from the top of the stairs, concerned.  
  
"Is everything okay?" Martha asked.  
  
"We'll explain later," Jonathan answered. He nodded at Chloe. "Hi, Chloe."  
  
"Hi," Chloe replied. "Look, if this is a bad time -"  
  
"No, it's okay," Jonathan interrupted gently. He and Clark helped Linda to her feet, and he gave Linda over to Clark, who supported her. Jonathan came over and stood next to his wife. "What is it?"  
  
"Well, I don't have a lot of time," Chloe said. "Jimmy's already heading back to Metropolis in the chopper, and Lois is waiting down in her car; she's going to give me a lift back." She took a deep breath and rummaged around in her bag. "I have something for you." She pulled out the manila envelope with Linda's past in it and handed it over to Jonathan, smiling a bit as she looked at the young woman with Clark. "Congratulations. It's a girl."  
  
- - - -  
  
Donovan was working in his laboratory, spinning test tubes of the protomatter in a centrifuge. He looked up as the door to his lab opened and Lex walked in. A gurney with a body covered in a sheet was pushed in behind him by a couple of people in scrubs. Donovan looked annoyed as the gurney was wheeled in front of him.  
  
"That will be all," Lex said. The two people left, and Lex closed the door behind him. Lex turned to Donovan.  
  
"What do you want?" Donovan asked.  
  
"I have another . . . project for you," Lex replied.  
  
"I don't have time," Donovan said.  
  
Lex pulled back the sheet, revealing the ashen-skinned body of Zor-El. The businessman glared at the scientist. "Make time." He threw the sheet back over the body and headed out of the lab. Donovan eyed the body with curiosity, then an evil grin slowly spread over his face.  
  
THE END 


End file.
